Weather strip structure for doors



Nov. zo, 1951 w. T. MOTEN 2,575,459

WEATHER STRIPSTRUCTURE FOR DOORS Filed July '28, 1948 Empfil INVENTOR. w|LL|AM T. MoTEN.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1951 WEATHER STRIP STRUCTURE FOR DOORS William T. Moten, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 28, 1948, Serial No. 41,154

(Class 20-68) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a weather strip structure for attachment to the bottom of a hinged door.

One object of my invention is to provide a weather strip structure for the bottom of a hinged door which will permit the door so equipped to be hung so that it may be swung freely over floor coverings and when the door is closed will provide a tight seal between the lower edge of the door and the structure either oor or threshold, directly therebeneath.

It is a further object to provide a weather strip which will be raised or lowered by the opening or closing of a door to which it is attached.

A still further object is to provide a simple, inexpensive bottom sealing structure which may be incorporated in the door structure or fastened to the bottom of the door.

'I'he structure includes an elongated sealing element which may extend substantially the width of the door, with means for moving the sealing Velement into close engagement with and draught excluding relationship with the floor or threshold when the door is closed and means for retracting or lifting the sealing element to a draught neutral position or retracted position when the door is opened. In the latter position the bottom of the sealing element or weather strip is substantially ilush with the bottom of the door.

In the drawings, where I have shown certain presently preferred embodiments of my invention:

Figure l is a vertical section medial of the thickness of the door, showing various parts of the sealing structure when the door is ajar;

Figure 2 is a view in section along the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in sectionv along the line IIIn-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View along the line IV-IV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical section medial of the thickness of the door, showing various parts of another sealing structure when the door is ajar, embodying a variation of my invention; and

Figure 6 is a view in section along the line VI-VI of Figure 5.

The structure shown in Figures l through 4 is illustrated as attached to a door D of any conventional type hinged at H to a door frame F. The bottom edge of the door is spaced from the iioor or threshold T.

The sealing structure is received in a recess I0 which extends medially, longitudinally, and upwardly from the bottom o1' the door and trom edge to edge of the door. It is fastened to the upright door edges by screws II and I2 which extend through lugs I3 and I4 respectively, which form extensions of the side frame of the sealing structure.

'Ihe sealing or weather strip structure is formed from elongated sheet metal members, namely va base plate I5 and a cooperating cover plate I6, both of which have turned over top edges which overlap one another to form an enclosure. The base plate I5 has inwardly turned end portions I1 which have the lug portions I3 and I4 welded thereto or formed integrally therewith as desired. The depth of the structure is determined by the width of the top edge of base plate I5,

which is of the same width as the width of end portions Il. Thus the plates in eiect; form a box which is opened at the lower edge, which lower edge is substantially on a level with or just above the bottom edge of the door in which it may be mounted. Y

Suspended adjacent the bottom of the box is a weather strip 20, which is comprised of a sheet metal inverted channel 2I in which is clamped a' compressible strip 22, which is anchored by inturned lugs 23. The sealing strip 20 extends for substantially the length of the inside of the box downwardly beyond the bottom edge of the channel 2 I. The compressible strip or sealing member may be formed of felt, rubber or other suitable material. The weather strip is movable, as will be described from a draught excluding or projected or sealing position to a draught neutral or retracted position.

Mounted on the base plate I5 are two spaced apart outstanding lugs 25 through each of which slidably passes a screw 26, which is received in a threaded clamp 21 secured to the weather strip channel 2|. A helical spring 28 is disposed between the clamp and the lug to urge the weather strip 20 in a downward direction. The force of the springs 28 exerted on the weather strip 2|!l and urging it toward the bottom of the door can be adjusted by turning the screw 26.

Approximately midway of the strip 20, there is fastened by means of clamp 29, a flexible cable 30 which passes over sheave 3| rotatably mounted on the back plate I5, by pin 32. The cable extends horizontally to and is fastened to one end of a ball and socket joint 33. The other end of the joint is fastened to a threaded rod 34, which is threaded through a stop nut 35, which is slidable, but not rotatable relative to the back plate I5, thence slides through stop bracket 36 secured to the back plate and then 1s threaded into tance that the sleeve member 3l protrudes be-4 yond the latch side of the door.

When the door is almost closedthe end of sleeve 3l contacts a striker plate 4l secured to the door frame, forces the sleeve 3l inwardly, andj allows the cable 3l! to slacken and thus permits the springs 28 to force the weather strip 2l!y down- Wardly into close contact with the iloor or thesh'- old, as the case may be. When the door begins toswingi open, the sleeve `sli begins to move outwardly (tothe right as seen in Figure'l') as soon as'it'slides beyond contact with striker plate vMby the action of spring di). The cable 3B lifts the weather strip back to its position whereethe bottom edge is flush, or substantially so, `with the bottom of the door. It is evident 'that thespring l0 must have sufficient strength to lift the strip against the action of the springs 2.8.

Thestrip operating structure, as described, is assembled on the back plate i5, after which the cover plate l is applied and securedto the back plate by screws t2; the ends of' which arereceived in internallythreaded spacers i3 which alsoI ensure proper spacing apart of the back plate and cover plate. The-weather strip ZB'may be adjusted vertically by,` means of the screw rod Sliwhich has a slotted head lill by means of which the position of rod 34 relative to nut 35 may be varied. Access to slot liliY is through the hollow sleeve 31.

The structure illustrated in Figures `5 and 6 is formed with-a back platel and a cover'plate'52 Vsimilar to the plates l5 and i6 heretofore described. A weather strip `5.2i which includes a compressible strip 54S ispositi'oned between the bottom portions of theplat'es and extends therealong. The strip 53 is movedv up and down by the actionof a pair of toggle.jointsincliding'levers- 'Sil'y and 55.. Each lever 5d is liingedly con'- nectedv at its upper end to a bracket 56 secured to back plate 5i and at theA other end to argenerally rectangularly shaped shaft 5l by a pin 5S which is slidably received in the lengthwise'slot 59- in shaft Likewise each lever 55is connectedfto shaft 5l' and hingedA at one endvto-A a lug lillY secured to the weather strip53. Ahelical spring 6l in tension is fastenedv at oneend to pin 58 and at the other end to a pin $2 fixed to shafti as shown in Figure 5.l

The right end portion $13 of shaft 57T is circular and' threaded to be received in a sleeve which in turn hasa reduced portion E55 of circular cross section which passes through one inturned end of the'back plate and has a slot 6l' in the extreme end. The circular section portionl of the shaft 5l slidably 'passes through a bracket or'lugK` 68 fastenedto the-back plate. Between the bracket 6B andlthe inner endof sleeve 65, aY helical spring lll is disposed in compression; The spring 'l0 is strong enough to keep the mechanism inthe position shown in Figure 5 when'the sleeve 55 is out of` contact with the striker plate. The degree of compression of the spring l may be controlled by adjustingthe position of the sleeve 65 relative to the threaded end of shaft '51. The vertical position of the strip 53 may be controlled by the movement of sleeve on shaft 5l.

When the sleeve 'S5 is forced to the left upon closing of the door, the sleeve is moved by contact of the outer end thereoi` with the usual striker plate (not shown) on a door frame in which the door including the structure is hung, and the weather strip is forced down by the toggles. In the event the threshold beneath the door is not even, or an obstacle is thereon, the spring and slot arrangement rwhereby the toggle joints are connected to the shaft 5'! permits the Weather stripto accommodate itself to the diierences in height between the portions of the threshold and also prevents injury to the mechanism in case of an obstructionv which would prevent lowering of the weather strip,

To ensure that the Weather strip 53 will move substantially vertically, I prefer to arrange a guide rod l5 (Figure 5) which is attachedl to weather strip -53 and is slidable vertically through appropriate openings in guide lugs 'I6 and TI; attached to the back `plate l5 l In the drawings the weather strip is shown in the position which it occupies in the housing when the doorv is suiiiciently ajar so thatY the striker or thrust rod is not inV contact withl the striker plate. WhenV the door is closedsuiiiciently, the thrust rod is forced inwardly (to the left) and this causes the weather strip to be quickly forced down to seal the space betweenthe bottom ofthe door and the threshold'or floor.

While have described the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, it is. to be understood that changes maybe. made inthe structure illustrated without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for sealing the space between-the bottom of a dcor'which may be swung' from an open to a closed position, aweather strip mounted on the door bottom for movement' from a retracted position'to a sealing position, aiied lug on the device, an expansible spring between the lug and the weather strip to urge the strip towardthe sealing position, a cable attached at one endto the weather strip, a threaded'rod attached to the other end of the cable and receivable in a slidable nut, a iiXed bracket on the device through which the rod is passed, said nut being engageable with said bracket to limit movement of the rod in one direction, a sleeve member the interior of which is threadably engageable with the rod and which projects through the edge of the door, a stop ring on the sleeve member, a compressible spring disposed between the bracket and the stop ring, and which is of such strength es to overcome the downward thrust of the .expansible spring.

2. In a device for sealing the space between the bottom of a door which may be swung from an open to a closed position, a weather strip mounted on the door bottom for movement from a retracted position to a sealing position, an expansible spring biasing the strip for movement to the sealing position, a threaded rod having an adjusting nut in threaded engagement therewith, operating mechanism for moving said strip against the bias of said spring and having arst connection with said strip and a second connection to said threaded rod, a fixed bracket on the device through which the rod is passed, said nut being engageable with said bracket to limit movement of the rod in one direction, a sleevemem- 5 ber the interior of which is threadably engageable with the rod and which projects through the edge of the door, a stop ring on the sleeve member, a eompressble spring disposed between the bracket and the stop ring, and which is of such strength as to overcome the downward thrust of the expansible spring.

WILLIAM T. MOTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Da Pra Sept. 18, 1934 Reese Dec. 29, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Nov. 18, 1898 Great Britain 1898 Sweden Mar. 7, 1940 Great Britain 1923 Great Britain Feb. 3, 1927 

